Tomorrow, I turn 59. My mother - who was both parent and friend to me - died when she was 59. Sometimes it makes me sad to think that I will, with only a small bit of luck, live longer than she did. But yesterday, while hiking and realizing that that milestone will come in mid-November, it struck me: my mom would have loved for me to surpass her in this respect. I felt a surge of joy. I’m going to carry it with me.